SpaceX completes over 700 tests of Crew Dragon’s SuperDraco engines
SpaceX has completed over 700 tests of its Crew Dragon SuperDraco engines as it pushes to use the spacecraft to bring astronauts to the International Space Station. The Crew Dragon has an integrated launch escape system that can ferry a crew to safety in the event of an emergency.
Astronomers found a comet that may have come from another solar system
An interstellar object from outside of our solar system has been spotted casually passing through our neck of the universe. The comet's name is C/2019 Q4 (Borisov), and it’s only the second interstellar object ever to be seen passing through our solar system, the first being ‘Oumuamua back in 2017.
Sub-zero supercooling technique can help transplant organs survive for longer
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have found a way to keep potentially life-saving transplant organs alive for longer outside the human body. Their supercooling technique cools organs below zero, but without damaging them in the process. Here's how that could be a game-changer.
IBM Research is using A.I. algorithms to unlock the secrets of dark matter DNA
Scientists at IBM Research have used cutting-edge A.I. algorithms to help examine some of the secrets of dark matter DNA, the unexplored molecules and matter surrounding our genes which make up more than half of the human genome. Here's what they have discovered so far.
Edelkrone’s 3D-printed wearable monopod fits in your pocket and your budget
The Edelkrone PocketShot 3D is a versatile camera support system that fits your pocket. And at $29 plus materials, it probably fits in your budget as well. The camera support system is 3D printed and assembled with a handful of aluminum parts, unfolding to serve as a wearable monopod, camera handle, and more.
Baby black holes chirp as they’re born, just as Einstein predicted
MIT scientists testing Albert Einstein's no-hair theorem have heard a “baby” black hole for the very first time, and found it produces gravitational waves that sound like a chirp.
Austrian Airlines is flying a drone around its planes for a good reason
Austrian Airlines is using an advanced drone to inspect its passenger aircraft for structural issues and paint damage. The drone reduces the workload for the airline’s technicians and speeds up the inspection process dramatically. If the current trial is successful, the system could be used on a permanent basis.
Amazon’s $20 coupon lets you save on these GPS camera drones
The increasing popularity of these camera drones these past years has given way to the rise of more affordable options. If you want to elevate your filming style without breaking the bank, check out these under-$300 drones on Amazon. You can even get them at $20 less when you apply Amazon's discount coupon upon checkout.
Hubble space telescope finds water vapor on ‘Super-Earth’ exoplanet
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has discovered water vapor in the atmosphere of a distant Earth-like exoplanet known as K2-18b, meaning it might be habitable. The so-called "Super-Earth" is located about 110 light-years away in the Leo constellation.
Artificial leg with realistic sensory feedback helps wearers walk confidently
Researchers from Switzerland’s Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have developed a new bionic prosthesis that uses onboard sensors and electrodes to provide wearers with neurofeedback when they're walking. Here's how it fared in a recent three-month test drive experiment.
The Trump administration will move to ban flavored e-cigarettes
Amid vaping-related lung illnesses and multiple deaths around the United States, President Donald Trump's administration is gearing up to ban flavored e-cigarettes nationwide, officials announced Wednesday. The move comes as a mystery vaping illness has killed at least 6 people in the U.S.
Elon Musk says SpaceX is getting ready to fly its Starship into orbit
SpaceX is getting ready to launch its orbital Starship rocket, pending approval from the FCC, according to CEO Elon Musk. The test will include an experimental launch, landing, and recovery of the Starship suborbital test vehicle.
Swagtron EB12 electric bike review: The bare necessities
Can you buy a good electric bike for $1,000? If you'd asked in 2017, the answer would've been no, but bikes like the Swagtron EB12 have pushed entry-level ebikes to new heights. Swagtron's bike isn't without sacrifices, but most of what's cut won't be missed.
Sainsbury’s removed checkouts at one grocery store. Now it’s putting some back
The U.K.'s first-ever checkout-free store has decided to reinstall its checkouts. The decision follows a three-month trial of smartphone scan-and-pay technology that, while popular, still left many shoppers wanting to use cash. The store hasn’t given up on the system, however, as shoppers can still use it if they wish.
McDonald’s plans to serve up artificial intelligence at its drive-thru windows
Fast-food giant McDonald’s is exploring ways to automate its drive-thru service with the help of artificial intelligence after acquiring voice technology startup Apprente. It means that you could soon be chatting with a robot rather than a human when you pull up to place your order.
MIT’s amazing reprogrammable ink can create color-changing objects
Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have created an awesome new reprogrammable ink that allows people to create objects that change color or even patterns in response to UV and visible light sources. Check it out in colorful action.
Sixth person dies from mystery vaping-related lung illness
Authorities in Kansas have confirmed another death caused by a mystery vaping-related lung disease, making it the sixth vaping death so far in the U.S. Other deaths have been confirmed in California, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Oregon.
Robot helps a surgeon carry out world’s first long-distance heart operations
In a world'x first, a surgeon in India has successfully carried out several long distance heart operations using a telepresence robot to help him. Here's how the procedures played out -- and why these procedures are so exciting for the future of surgery in underserved parts of the world.
Self-driving meal machines are now feeding students at Purdue University
Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana is the latest college campus to welcome meal-delivery robots. Students and staff who don’t want to traipse across campus to grab lunch can now use an app to have it brought to them, though the service costs customers $2 a time to use.
Biotech company 3D-prints a miniature human heart from stem cells
It's not science fiction anymore: 3D-printing a human heart is now a reality. A company called Biolife4D has developed the technology to print human cardiac tissue by collecting blood cells from a patient and converting these cells to a type of stem cell called Induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells.
Gocycle’s new GXi electric bike can fold away in a mere 10 seconds
Gocycle's new GXi electric bike features a clean, sturdy design and can be folded into a compact package in just 10 seconds. Designed by a guy who used to work at supercar maker McLaren, the two-wheeler will be officially unveiled this week though won't go on sale until next year.
IFA 2019: The biggest announcements from Europe’s leading tech show
The world's leading manufacturers took to the stage at IFA 2019 to showcase their latest innovations. Here's what you need to know about this year's show, including how long it will run, where it's held, the schedule, and all the devices we've seen unveiled by the likes of LG, Sony, and Samsung.
Microsoft co-founder’s megayacht sails onto the market for a cool $330M
Octopus, the megayacht once owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, is on the market for more than $330 million. The 126-meter-long vessel, called Octopus, comes with two helicopter pads, 13 guest rooms, and a 10-person submarine. And that's not even the half of it.
Jupiter’s magnetic field simulated on Earth using CERN high-energy electron beam
The European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, is most famous for its particle collider, but it also has facilities that can test for other high-energy environments similar to those found in space. Now those facilities are being used to test future spacecraft to see if they are radiation-proof.
Gas at 20 million degrees glows brightly in this colorful supernova remnant
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has returned to the first target it imaged 20 years ago, to collect an updated image. A glowing cloud is the remnant of a supernova Cassiopeia A which is believed to have exploded in the year 1680, generating shock waves that illuminated stellar debris around it.
What happens to concrete when you mix it in space? ISS astronauts investigate
Concrete is a material used everywhere on Earth due to its strength and relatively light weight. That makes it a useful candidate for a material to built structures out of in space as well. But you can't mix up cement in space the same way you do on Earth and expect the same result.
Mars was once an ocean-covered planet with a thick atmosphere like Earth’s
Today Mars is a cold, arid desert. But billions of years ago, it could have been a lush planet covered in surface water, not so different from Earth. The difference between then and now is the atmosphere, which is thin and spare but was once thick enough to retain heat and allow liquid water.
India locates its lander on the moon, is trying to establish communications
It was sad times for the Indian space program on Friday when contact was lost with the Chandrayaan-2 lunar lander in the final minutes before its planned landing on the moon. But all is not lost. Today the ISRO announced it has located the Vikram module and is now trying to re-establish communications.
DARPA is sending robots underground to teach them to save lives
What does the ultimate search-and-rescue robot look like? And how would it cope in an underground disaster zone? That's what DARPA set out to discover in its Subterranean Challenge. Here's what you need to know about the competition that's attracting the world's top research labs.
5 awesome pieces of new tech we saw on display at IFA 2019
It's not just consumer electronics on show at IFA 2019 -- it's also a great place to get a glimpse of emerging technologies which could change the way we live in the future. Here are 5 awesome pieces of new technology we spotted on the show floor this year, from exoskeletons to hydroponic gardening pods.
Designing new drugs takes years, but A.I. could help reduce that to days
A new biotech company called Insilico Medicine is using advanced artificial intelligence algorithms to potentially discover the next world-changing drugs. Here's what it recently demonstrated, and why it could potentially prove to be such a big disruptor in the pharma space.
Google’s future baby monitor could spy on your kid to alert you before they cry
Could the smart baby monitors of the future send parents a notification when the baby is starting to stir before that first cry? A recently published Google patent details an A.I. that could track the baby's eyes and movements for smarter alerts from a camera like the Google Nest.
India loses communication with Chandrayaan-2 moon lander
India's space agency lost contact with its Chandrayaan-2 moon lander Friday as it attempted to do what it was made for: land on the moon. It's not clear if the lander crashed or if there was simply some kind of communication error. Its mission is to explore the moon's south pole and search for signs of water.
Digital Trends Live: IFA 2019 wrap-up, Facebook’s reward for detecting deepfakes
On this episode of DT Live, hosts Greg Nibler and Riley Winn tackle the biggest trending stories in tech, including an IFA 2019 wrap-up, Facebook’s prize to detect deepfakes, Apple Music’s web app, India to land on the moon, and more.